1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to games for exercising the body and, more particularly, is concerned with a competitive balance exercise game device and method of play.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Exercise is an important part of daily life. It is an integral part of being healthy. Exercising the body, however, is an activity which many people do not enjoy. Individuals often need to be enticed into participating in exercise. Activities which are recreational in nature tend to be the forms of exercise which attract the most participants. Children, especially, enjoy playing games. It is often necessary to make exercise a game or a form of competitive recreation in order to draw participation.
Various competitive exercise games have been developed over the years. Representative examples of these exercise games and the like are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,479,956 to Nash, U.S. Pat. No. 2,937,023 to Seymour et al., U.S. Pat. No. 3,104,877 to Gross, U.S. Pat. No. 3,129,940 to Lauro, U.S. Pat. No. 3,323,796 to Carlson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,039,185 to Rhodes, U.S. Pat. No. 4,153,245 to McCoy, U.S. Pat. No. 4,211,402 to Carroll, U.S. Pat. No. 5,004,226 to Brown, Jr., U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,414 to Bass and U.S. Pat. No. 5,284,459 to Podd, III. While many of these prior art games provide devices that appear to be satisfactory in use for the specific purposes for which they were designed, none of them seem to provide an optimum approach to exercising balance in a competition between two participants.
Consequently, a need still exists for a game and device which provides an optimum approach for an individual to exercise his or her balance capabilities in a healthy competition with another individual.
The present invention provides a competitive balance exercise game and device therefor designed to satisfy the aforementioned need. The competitive balance exercise game and device of the present invention are designed for use by two participants. The game device is an elongated staff or rod having a desired predetermined degree of bendability and a pair of double hand grips one on each of the opposite ends of the elongated rod. In the game, the participants space themselves apart from one another by approximately the length of a middle portion of the elongated rod extending between the respective double hand grips on the opposite ends of the elongated rod. The participants can assume one of three basic standing positions: (1) facing each other; (2) side by side facing the same direction; or (3) side by side facing in opposite directions. The object of the game is for each participant to attempt to knock the other off balance by pushing and pulling on the elongated rod and thrusting the elongated rod from side to side until one of the participants lifts a foot or removes a hand from the elongated rod.
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a competitive balance exercise game device which comprises: (a) an elongated rod having opposite end portions and a middle portion extending between and preferably being integral with the opposite end portions; and (b) a pair of bodies of gripping material each being disposed over and attached to one of the opposite end portions of the elongated rod. The elongated rod is generally comprised of a selected material which can vary from relatively inflexible or stiff to semi-rigid and semi-flexible so that it will be capable of bending a predetermined degree during play of the game. The pair of bodies of gripping material are preferably a pair of gripping sleeves. Each gripping sleeve is disposed over and attached to one of the opposite end portions of the elongated rod. Each gripping sleeve preferably is long enough to receive both hands of the participant. Each body or gripping sleeve is comprised preferably of a substantially rubber material.
The game device may also comprise an elongated tube made of a substantially resilient compressible foam-like material inserted over and covering the middle portion of the elongated rod. The game device may further comprise a pair of cup-shaped hilts. Each hilt is generally bowed toward one of the opposite end portions of the elongated rod and is disposed over and attached to the elongated rod where the middle portion of the elongated rod meets the one opposite end portion of the elongated rod. The game may also comprise at least one flat mat and preferably a pair of flat mats. Each flat mat is for one participant to stand upon while playing the game.
The present invention is also directed to a method of playing a competitive balance exercise game which comprises the steps of: (a) standing two participants in a desired spaced positional relationship to one another at the start of the game; (b) placing the elongated rod so that it extends between the two participants; (c) gripping one and the other of a pair of opposite ends of the elongated rod respectively with both hands of one and the other of the two participants; and (d) moving the hands of each of the two participants toward and away from their bodies until a loss of balance is experienced by a first one of the two participants.
Three basic standing positional relationships from which the desired one can be selected for use by the participants at the start of the game are as follows. The participants may stand facing one another at the opposite ends of the elongated rod and grip the opposite end portions of the elongated rod. In this position, each participant has the palms of his or her hands facing up. Each participant further has the same hand, either left or right, forward as the other participant. The participants may also stand side by side facing in the same or in opposite directions at opposite ends of the elongated rod and grip the opposite end portions of the elongated rod. In these positions, each participant has the palms of his or her hands facing down.
These and other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading of the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein there is shown and described an illustrative embodiment of the invention.